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What Is Hypnosis
Although the effects of hypnosis can seem magical, hypnosis itself
is actually very easy to understand.
Every time you focus down your attention you enter a kind of hypnotic
trance. Whereas ‘normal’ awareness can involve being aware
of many things, and the mind ‘hopping around’, a defining
characteristic of the trance state is a single, or limited focus of
attention.
Right now, for example, you are focusing your attention on your computer
screen. While you’ve been doing that you have ‘forgotten’
or ‘zoned out’ the sensations of your feet on the floor.
The same goes for the sensation of your watch on your wrist, the blinking
of your eyes or the colours in the room.
This of course is an essential skill. To be effective in any situation
we must narrow down our attention so we are less aware of irrelevant
aspects of our experience. ‘Deep trance’ is simply an
extension of this ability.
You can see this working when you are engrossed in a book or film
and someone asks if you would like something to drink. You may have
had the experience of not hearing someone at all, or being ‘semi-aware’
that they said something, but having no idea what it was!
But how does this explain stage hypnosis?
Carefully selected subjects are able to focus their attention so tightly
on internal experience (as in a dream), that they become much less
aware of their surroundings. In this way, internal experience becomes
much more important than external.
So, hypnosis occurs all the time. When you learn about everyday hypnosis
and ultradian rhythms, you really begin to see how you can use hypnosis
to help yourself.
Next, Ultradian Rhythms
Back to Hypnosis and hypnotherapy Articles
